brēowanthorpe

The Homestead of Beer

London Brown Ale

By thomas #30 minute boil, #Ale, #Barley, #Beer, #BIAB, #British, #Brown Ale, #English, #Homebrew, #Hops, #London, #London Brown Ale, #Mountain Portage, #No-sparge, #Oatmeal, #one-gallon, #Water, #Yeast

Codename : Mountain Portage Londinium Alethorpe

Doing my own research, I was looking for other styles of the British Isles, and discovered a rare one called a London Brown Ale. It tends to be very low alcohol, in the 3% range, brownish in colour, and a little sweet. This is my first attempt!

Ingredients

  • 15 oz Maris Otter (3.8L)
  • 3 oz Crystal dark malt (100L)
  • 2 oz Caramel malt (120L)
  • 2 oz Oatmeal (1.3L)
  • 2 oz Pale chocolate malt (225L)
  • 0.2 oz Sasquatch hops at 30 minutes
  • 1 oz Lactose sugar at 20 minutes
  • 1/4 tsp Irish Moss (optional) at 15 minutes
  • 2 ml London dry ale yeast.

Vital Stats

BJCP Style : London Brown Ale
Anticipated ABV : 3.2%
Anticipated IBU : 17
Anticipated SRM : 28
Pre-boil SG : 1.027
Original SG : 1.038
Target SG : 1.014
Brewhouse (in)efficiency : 67%

Brew Day

  • Prepare 6.4L strike water at 158F.
  • Add the milled grains to the bag.
  • Place the bag in the hot water, set the timer for 75 minutes, and maintain the temperature at 158F.
  • Stir occasionally.
  • Calibrate the sonic screwdriver.
  • Lift the bag out of the water, and allow it to drip into the pot. Every bit of sugar that can be extracted will benefit the end ABV.
  • Bring up to a boil, 212F, set the timer for 30 minutes. Add hops, lactose and Irish moss, as prescribed above.
  • Sanitise everything required for fermentation.
  • Cool to room temp, an ice-bath or a snowbank work effectively.
  • Prepare the yeast mixture.
  • Pitch the yeast to the carboy.
  • Transfer the wort to the carboy, splash the wort around to aerate the contents.
  • Store in a cool dark place for primary fermentation for 10-14 days.

Bottling Day

Brew Notes

  • Tips to perspective brewers, doing other research, I found recommendations to use crystal malts above 80L, and to utilise 20-25% crystal malts in the grain bill.
  • The higher mash temp is chosen to make the wort more dextrinous, that is sweeter.
  • Some brewers use lactose to help get the wort sweeter, I followed suit.
Ferment the ale in the carboy for 10-14 days.

 

Brew day : 15-Sept-2023